Knife-handle.



V wiineaoea PATENTED Arms, 1901. J. E. COOPER &' P. A. OLIVER.

KNIFE HANDLE.

- APPLIOATION FILED MABJQ. 1906.

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JAMES E. COOPER AND PRINCE A.

- ASSIGNORS TO ROBESON PATENT OFFICE OLIVER, OF PERRY, NEW YORK,

CUTLERYCOMPANY, OF ROCHESTER,

NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

KNIFE- Specification of Letters Patent.

HANDLE.-

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed March 19,1906- Serial No. 306,725.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES E. COOPER and PRINCE A. OLIVER, of Perry, inthe county of Wyoming and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Knife-Handles and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thespecification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

Our present invention relates to cutlery, and particularly topocket-knives and it has for its object to provide an improved means ofsecuring the cap-pieces or bolsters and the scale or handle-pieceswhereby the former may be rigidly united to the underlyingbolster-scales and the latter secured be tween the caps or bolsters insuch a manner that the appearance of the knife will be enhanced and ininstances where the scale or handle-pieces are made of pearl, ivory,ebony, or similar substances they will be protected from becomingcracked or broken.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being I pointed out in the claims at theend of the specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pocket-knifeconstructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a similar viewwith the scale or handle-piece removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspectiveviews showing the inner and outer faces of a scale or handle-piece. Fig.6 is a detail perspective view of one end of a bolster-scale and one ofthe caps fitting thereon. Fig. 7 is a detailsectional view showing amodified form of the scale or handle piece connections. Fig. 8 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3, illustrating the application of the invention to atip-knife.

Similarreference-numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

It has been a common method in the construction of pocket cutlery tosecure the scale or handle-pieces to the metallic portions of the knifeby extending through them the ends of the pintles or rivets on which theknife-blades are journaled. This construction possesses certaindisadvantages, owing to the frangible nature of the finer grades ofhandlepieces, which are composed of pearl, tortoise-shell, ivory, orebony, because the perforations in the handle-pieces, which are placednear their ends, weaken them and permit their extremities to be easilycracked or broken when the pintles are subjected to undue pressure by alateral force applied to their respective blades. Again, the rivets ipiercing the scale or handle-pieces have their 5 ends exposed, makingnoticable points at each side of the knife, which detracts from itsappearance. The previous method of construction has also been anexpensive one, as the upsetting of the ends of the rivets or pintles tosecure the scales or handle-pieces in position often results in breakingthe latter during the process of manufacture, and as in such a knife thehandle-pieces are at- I tached after the other parts are assembled abroken handle necessitates a removal of the rivets and the insertion ofnew ones.

In carrying out our present invention, with a view of obviating thedisadvantages heretofore encountered and for the purpose of producingpocket cutlery more expeditiously and which shall possess a morepleasing appearance to the eye, we arrange the inner ends of thebolsters and the cooperating ends of the scale or handle-pieces so thatthey overlap, thereby holding the latter in engagement with theknife-frame or bolster-scales, I and we employ additional devices whichprevent the handle-pieces from lateral movement. A knife constructed inaccordance with our invention comprises the metallic framepieces 1,which in the finished article are assembled at each side of the blades2, journaled upon the pintles or rivets 3, as shown in Fig. 3. Bothsides of the knife are constructed alike, so a description of one ofthem will be sufficient. The bolster-scale 1 is provided at each endwith a cap-piece or bolster 4, provided on its lower side with a stud orlug 5, preferably formed integrally therewith and adapted to passthrough an aperture 6 at the end of the bolster-scale and to be upsetagainst the inner surfaceof the latter. In arranging these parts it ispreferable to locate the stud or lug in proximity to the outer end ofthe bolster to more securely unite it to the bolster-scale and permitthe aperture receiving the rivet or pintle 3 to be drilled in anapproximately central position in the bolster without weakening itsconnection with the bolster-scale.

The handle-piece 7 which may be made of pearl, ivory, ebony, or othermaterial, fills the intervening space between the inner ends of thebolsters 4, and in order to hold it in contact with the bolster-scaleand prevent its outer movement thereon the inner ends of the bolstersare undercut, as indicated at 8, and the ends of the handle-piece arebeveled or formed correspondingly, as indicated at 9 in Fig. 4, so thatit may be inserted between the bolsters and moved laterally into thedesired position. By this arrangement of the parts it will be seen thatthe handle piece is prevented from longitudinal movement in eitherdirection and is also held against outward movement relatively to thebolster-scale, but that it is capable of lateral movement. To preventthis, there is inserted in each bolster a pin or rivet 10, which isarranged at an angle and projects beyond the lower edge of its undercutend 8 and intersects the bottom portion of the beveled end 9 on thehandle-piece, engaging the sides of a notch 1 1, formed therein by theboring operation performed to provide an aperture for the reception ofthe pin 10. While it is not essential, it is a preferred construction toextend the inner ends of the rivets 10 through the adjacent portion ofthe bolster-scale, as they may be conveniently employed as means forfurther securing these parts in rigid engagement.

To facilitate assembling the parts and to secure the handle-pieces tothe bolster-scale during the operation of drillingthe apertures throughwhich the rivets 10 are passed, the bolster-scale is provided with twofingers 12, formed integrally therewith, by severing the material, asindicated in Fig. 2, having the laterally-bent ends 13, formingtransverselyextending locking projections, the edges of which areadapted to cooperate with the sides of recesses 14, provided in theinner faces of the handle-piece 7, as shown in Fig. 5. The projections13 may be depressed when the handle-piece is inserted between thebolsters 4, permitting it to be moved laterally until in the desiredposition, when they will be moved outwardly by the resilient action oftheir supporting-fingers. The latter are preferably located at oppositeends of the bolster-scale in proximity to the two cap-pieces, and itwill be seen that the handle-piece is rigidly held in the desiredposition during the operation of drilling the apertures and insertingthe rivets 10.

In certain classes of knives the rivets 10 may be dispensed with and themovable projections engaging the handle pieces employed as means forsecuring them against lateral movement both during the process ofconstruction and after it has become a finished article. The yieldingprojections are particularly desirable as means for temporarily securingthe handlepieces, as the latter, the bolster-scales, and bolsters may beround and finished before they are united with the blades and othercooperating parts, such as the usual spring or springs. Thus when thehandle-piece proves defective or is injured in the process of assemblingit may be removed by retracting the spring-fingers and theirprojections, permitting a new piece to be substituted.

In Fig. 7 we have shown a modified means of securing a handle-piece, inwhich it is held in contact with the bolster-scale and prevented fromoutward and transverse movement by means of the securingrivet 140. Thisconstruction is particularly adapted for knives provided with thick orheavy handles in which the abutting edges of the bolster 15 and thehandle 16 may extend at right angles to the bolster-scale 17, the pin 14in this instance being arranged at such an angle that it passes throughthe end of the handle-piece above the lower end corner 18 thereof.

The illustration in Fig. 8 shows the invention applied to that style ofpocket cutlery known as tip-knives, in which the bolsters (indicated by19) do not serve to support the ends of the blade-pintles 20, but arelocated at the outer ends of the knife beyond the pintles. Our inventionmay be conveniently employed in the construction of a knife of thischaracter, for by providing the bolsterscales with the spring-fingers 12having the projections 13 thereon which enter apertures in thehandle-pieces 21, the latter may be applied after the metallic portionsof the knife have been assembled.

Pocket cutlery embodying our invention may be manufactured cheaply andthe handle-pieces thereof secured against removal in the finishedarticle and protected against inury.

We claim as our invention 1. In a knife handle, the combination with abolster-scale and a handle-piece thereon provided with a recess in itslower side, of bolsters engaging the ends of the handle and preventingit from outward and longitudinal movement relatively to thebolster-scale and a locking projection on the latter cooperating withsaid recess to secure the handle against transverse movement.

2. In a knife handle, the combination with a bolster-scale and aremovable handlepiece fitting thereon having a recess in its lower side,of a locking projection movable transversely of the bolster-scale andengaging in the recess and means for holding the handle in contact withthe bolster-scale.

3. In a knife comprising a bolster-scale and bolsters thereon, of ahandle-piece pro vided with a recess and fitted between the bolstersand. held in contact with the bolsterscale and a movable lockingprojection on the latter engaging the recess.

4. In a knife, the combination with a bolster-scale, a yielding fingerformed therein having an outwardly-projecting end and a handle-pieceprovided with a recess cooperating with the end of said finger, ofbolsters secured to the bolster-scale abutting and overlapping theends'of the handle-piece.

5. In a knife, the combination with a bolster-scale, anintegrallyaformed finger thereon having a lateral. projection, of ahandle piece provided with a recess cooperating with said projection andbolsters engaging the handle to hold it in contact with the bol--ster-scale.

6. In a knife, the combination with a bolster-scale, bolsters thereonand a handle piece rovided with a recess and movable laterally of thebolster-scale between the bolsters and held in engagement therewith bysaid bolsters, of a spring-finger on the bolster-scale and a projectionthereon cooperating with the recess to lock the handle in op erativeposition.

7. In a knife, the combination with a bolster-scale, a handle-piecethereon having a recess in its lower side and a locking projec tion onthe bolster-scale entering the recess,

of bolsters abut-ting the ends-of the handlepiece and rivets passingthrough the bolsters and engaging the ends of the scale-piece.

8. In a knife, the combination with a bol ster-scale, a handle-piecethereon having a recess in its lower side and a locking projection onthe bolster-scale. entering the recess, of bolsters secured to thebolster-scale having 40 their inner ends projecting over the ends of thehandlepiece and rivets passing through the bolsters at an angle andengaging the underlying ends of the handle-piece.

9. In a pocket-knife, the combination with a bolster-scale, and ahandlepiece thereon, of bolsters on the bolster-scale abutting the endsof the handle-piece and rivets passing through the bolsters at an angleto the faces of said abutting parts and engaging the ends of thehandle-piece beneath their outer sides.

10. In a pocket-knife, the combination with a bolster-scale and ahandle-piece thereon, having beveled ends, of-bolsters on thebolster-scale provided with undercut ends overhanging the ends of thehandle-piece and rivets passing through the bolsters and engaging theends of the handle-piece.

11.. In a pocket-knife, the combination with bolsterscales provided withapertures at their ends and bolsters arranged on the outer surfaces ofthe scales having lugs adapted to pass through said apertures and beupset against the inner surfaces of the scales, of blades locatedbetween the bolster-scales and pintles'passing through the bolsters,scales and blades.

12. In a pocketknife, the combination with blades, bolster-scalesarranged at each side thereof and provided with apertures at their endsand pintles securing the blades and scales, of bolsters arranged on theouter faces of the latter provided with integrallyformed lugs passingthrough the apertures and securing the bolster-scales by engaging theinner faces thereof. I

JAMES E. COOPER. PRINCE A. OLIVER.

Witnesses:

SADIE CoRYELL, E. V. JENKs.

